1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device including a function block and a manufacturing method therefore.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, as a mounting method for electronic devices, a mounting method which utilizing an FSA (Fluidic Self-Assembly) method has been developed. This FSA method is a technique wherein electronic devices (hereinafter called xe2x80x9cfunction devicesxe2x80x9d) which are of predetermined form and of predetermined size from 10 to hundreds of microns are dispersed in a liquid, this liquid is flowed onto a surface of a base body including a hole or a fitting part which are the same size and shape as this function device, the function devices are mounted onto the base body by fitting this function devices into these holes or fitting part.
An FSA method, for example, is disclosed in a journal regarding Information display (S. Drobac, INFORMATION DISPLAY VOL. 11 (1999) pages 12 to 16), U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,545,291, 5,783,856, 5,824,186, and 5,904,545, etc.
Next, an example of a mounting process for a semi-conductor using the FSA method is briefly explained.
1. First, wafers which are made of single crystal silicon and which include hundreds to millions of electronic devices are divided into thousands to millions of function blocks by etching. The function block achieved by this dividing operation has predetermined 3-dimensional form, and each function block has predetermined function. Also, the electronic device may be of a simple construction such as that of a transistor or of a complicated construction such as that of an IC.
2. Separating from the function blocks, the base body into which these function blocks are to be fitted is formed. The holes for fitting function blocks are formed on this base body by carving, by etching, or by laser etc. These hole are formed to conform to the size and the shape of the function blocks.
3. Next, the function blocks formed in this process are dispersed in liquid, and this dispersed liquid is flowed onto the surface of the base body formed in process 2. By this process, function blocks pass over the surface of the base body, and fall into and fit into the holes made on the base body in self-adjusting manner. The function blocks which do not fit into the holes are collected from the dispersed liquid, and are cleaned, and are dispersed again into the cleaned liquid, and are flowed onto other new surface of the base body. During the time wherein the above process is repeated, the function blocks and the dispersed liquid are kept recycled.
4. After being fitted into a hole formed on the base body, the function block is hard-wired by an ordinary method such as a metallizing method, and operates as a part of final electric circuit. By the above process, the function block is mounted onto the semi-conductor device.
According to this FSA method, the cost of a device such as a display can be reduced, and the lead-time for manufacturing can be improved because a large number of function blocks can be mounted onto the base body at one time. Also, the reliability of the device can be improved because the mounting process can be performed by only the pre-inspected, good portions of function blocks.
Also, as a base body for fitting function blocks, various material such as glass, plastic, silicon etc can be used, therefore, the material selectioned to be used as the base body is easily achievable. Also, as a material for the function block, silicon, germanium-silicon, gallium-arsenide, indium-phosphor etc can be choosen according to the necessary functions of the function block. In this way, superior actions and effects are anticipated on FSA method as a mounting method for electronic devices.
By using the device including the function block manufactured by utilizing the FSA method in, for example, an optical device, the development of a highly reliable, low-cost semi-conductor device is sought. An object of the present invention is to provide a device and manufacturing method for a device including a function block.
First Device
In the device including a function block according to the present invention, the function block is made on a concavities formed on the base body. The function block includes a function element at least in one part, and the functionally formed part is formed in a predetermined area on the function block.
Here, the function element is an element which can function as an electronic device. Also, the functionally formed part is of a material which is in the necessary form to produce the predetermined function.
According to this construction, a predetermined function can be exerted by the formation of the functionally formed part in a predetermined area on the function block. There will be a more precise explanation regarding the above-mentioned facts in the detailed description of the invention.
As preferable conditions for the device including the function block, conditions 1 to 4 can be shown as follows.
1. The function block can include a semi-conductor device.
2. The function block can use an optical element as the function element. In this case, the functionally formed part can be formed on the optical element, and can include a lens-shaped part. Here, the optical element should preferably be at least one of a light receiving element or a light emitting element. By this construction, the function of the optical element can be enhanced. More details are given in the detailed description of the invention.
3. Electrodes can be formed in a predetermined area on the function block.
4. Furthermore, a protecting layer can be formed on the function block. In this case, the protecting layer can be formed so as to cover at least one part of the border area between the function block and the base body on the surface of the base body. Furthermore, in this case, a contact hole can be formed in the protecting layer.
Second Device
Also, in the device including the function block according to the present invention, the function block is made on a concavities formed on the base body. Also, the anchoring part for the function block is formed on at least one part of the border area between the function block and the base body on the surface of the base body.
According to this construction, in the case of forming a member on the function block, freer designability can be achieved because the anchoring part can be formed in the minimum necessary area for anchoring the function block.
In this case, the anchoring part is the functionally formed part. Also in this case, the function block can include semi-conductor devices.
First Manufacturing Method
The manufacturing method for the device including the function block in the present invention includes the formation of concavities on the base body, and the self-adjusting fitting process for function blocks having function elements on at least one part into the concavities, and also the manufacturing method of the device including function blocks in the present invention includes the following process (a) and process (b):
(a) process in which liquid stuff is spread on a predetermined area on the function block, and
(b) process in which the liquid stuff is hardened so as to form the functionally formed part.
According to this manufacturing method, simply by supplying the liquid stuff to the function device and by hardening the liquid stuff, the functionally formed part can be formed in self-align manner. As a result, the functionally formed part can be formed by a very simple process without alignment offset.
Second Manufacturing Method
The manufacturing method for the device including the function block in the present invention includes the formation of concavities on the base body, and the self-adjusting fitting process for the function block having the function element on at least one part into the concavity, and also the manufacturing method of the device including the function block in the present invention includes the following process (a) and process (b):
(a) process in which a liquid stuff is spread on a predetermined area on the function block, and
(b) the process in which the functionally formed part is formed by using a stamper having a complementary shaped part against the functionally formed part, and the functionally formed part is formed wherein the liquid stuff is hardened so as to locate the complementary shaped part on the area where the functionally formed part is formed in a condition such that the function block and the stamper are in a coupled position.
According to this manufacturing method, the functionally formed part can easily be formed without alignment offset.
Also, in the process (b), the stamper has a complementary shaped part relative to contact hole, by using the stamper, the functionally formed part can be formed and the contact hole can be formed on the electrode. According to this manufacturing method, because the functionally formed part and the contact hole can be uniformly formed by using the stamper, as compared with the case in which forming the functionally formed part and the contact hole by using, for example, a lithography method, the functionally formed part can be easily formed, and therefore the manufacturing time can be substantially reduced.
As preferable conditions for the first manufacturing method and the second manufacturing method, conditions 1 to 6 can be shown as follows.
(1) The function block can include a semi-conductor device.
(2) The function block can include an optical element as the function element. In this case, this is a process in which the functionally formed part is formed on the optical element, and the process in which the functionally formed part is formed so as to include lens-shape part can be used
(3) Furthermore, the following process (c) can be included as follows.
(c) process in which electrode is formed in order to drive the function block in predetermined area on the function block.
(4) Furthermore, the following process (d) can be included as follows.
(d) process in which a protecting layer is formed on the function block.
In this case, process (d) is a process in which the protecting layer can be formed so as to cover at least one part of the border area between the function block and the base body.
(5) The liquid stuff should preferably include resin or resin precursor.
(6) In the process (a), as a method for applying the liquid stuff in a predetermined area on the function block, for example, a method in which drops of the liquid stuff are formed on the top of a dispenser nozzle, the drops are made to contact a predetermined area of the function block, and the liquid stuff is disposed in the predetermined area, can be used. Alternatively, a method wherein the liquid stuff is ejected onto a predetermined area of the function block by using ink head jet, and the liquid stuff is disposed in a predetermined area, can be used.
Third Manufacturing Method
Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first manufacturing method, the following process (e) can be included.
(e) process in which liquid repelling film which tends to repel the liquid stuff is formed in outside area to the area for forming the functionally formed part before applying the liquid stuff.
In this case, in above-mentioned process (b); which is included in the first manufacturing method should be a process in such a way that the liquid stuff which is repelled by the repelling film is disposed in the area for forming the functionally formed part. This process is explained more precisely in the detailed description of the invention.
Also in this case, the repelling film should preferably be single molecular film made of a compound which adsorbs to the electrode.
Furthermore, in this case, the electrode should preferably be formed of a material including gold, and the single molecular film should preferably be made of thiol including a group having a tendency to repel the liquid stuff to one end terminal.
Fourth Manufacturing Method
The manufacturing method of the device including the function block in the present invention includes the formation of concavities on the base body, and the self-adjusting fitting process for function blocks having function elements on at least one part into the concavities, and also the manufacturing method of the device including function blocks in the present invention includes the following process (a) and process (b).
(a) process in which applying a liquid stuff is applied to at least one part of a border area between the function block and the base body on the surface of the base body, and
(b) process in which the liquid stuff is hardened to form an anchoring part of the function block.
According to this construction, waste of raw material can be reduced because the anchoring part can be formed on the minimum necessary part in order to anchor the function block.
In this case, the anchoring part should preferably be the functionally formed part. Also, the function block can include a semi-conductor device.
A light transmission device in the present invention is characterized in that a device including the above-mentioned function block on which the function block including a light emitting element, and a device including the above-mentioned function block on which the function block including a light receiving element are stacked in such a way that the light emitting element and the light receiving element face each other.
Also, a light transmission device in the present invention is characterized in such a way that, a light emitting part made of a device including the above-mentioned function block on which the function block including light emitting element, and a light receiving part made of a device including the above-mentioned function block on which the function block including light receiving element are stacked in such a way that the light emitting element and the light receiving element face each other.